Monday, June 2, 2008

PANE CASALINGO - PAIN ITALIEN

Bread making and baking are real consuming passions, hobbies which destresse me and make me happy! I need to be around flour, otherwise I tend to feel melancholic and as if something important for my inner harmony would missing...

Creating and testing new recipes, kneading dough, admiring the beauty of rising loaves, enjoying the bewitching smell of a freshly baked loaf and biting into the golden crust and fluffy interior of a slice of bread are all soul healing, incomparable epicurian experiences which send shivers through me spine in a very transcendental way. It's my own personal drug. Healthy maybe, but addictive nonetheless!

In order to start June in a pleasant way, I wanted to share with you the recipe for a bread which I very much love as it looks and tastes very professional, although it is easy to make and is composed solely with simple and basic ingredients (flour, salt, water and yeast). Nothing exceptional here, except for the extraordinary loaf which will come out of your oven and which you'll greedily devour and savor until the last crumb disappears!

"Pane Casalingo" literally means " Home-Baked Bread" andis common all over Italy. It is one of the oldest traditional recipes, passed down from mother to daughter. It seems to have been created by pure inadvertance when somebody forgot a mixture of flour and water a few days, and discovered that it had become sour as well aspuffy. At the origin, this bread was baked directly on the stone floor of a very hot wood-fired oven.

Ingredients for the "Starter":1 1/4 Tsp Dried yeast60ml Water125ml Tepid milk1 Tsp Malt extract (see remarks)200g Strong white flourIngredients for the "Dough":1 1/4 Tsp Dried yeast200ml Water300g Strong white flour2 Tsp SaltMethod for the "Starter":1. Sprinkle the yeast into the water and milk in a bowl.2. Leave for 5 minutes, then add the malt extract and stir to dissolve.3. Add the flour and mix to form a thick paste.4. Cover with a tea towel and leave to ferment for 12 hours.Method for the "Dough":5. Sprinkle the yeast into 100ml of the water in a bowl. Leave for 5 minutes.6. Stir to dissolve.7. Mix the flour and the salt together in a large bowl.8. Make a well in the centre, and add the yeasted water and the starter.9. Pour half of the remaining water into the well.

10. Mix in the flour and stir in the reserved water, as needed in order to form a soft dough.11. Turn the dough out on a floured work surface and knead for about 5 minutes.12. Cover with a tea towel and allow to rest for 10 minutes.13. Knead for a further 5 minutes.14. Put the dough in a clean bowl and cover with a teat towel.15. Leave to rise until trebbled in size, about 2 hours.16. Preheat the oven to 200°C (400° F) and knock back and chafe (see remarks) for 5 minutes, then rest for 10 minutes.17. Shape the dough into a round loaf and place on on oiled baking sheet.18. Cover with a tea towel and leave to prove until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours.

19. Dust with flour and cut thee parallel slashes 1/2cm (1/4 inch) deep across the top of the loaf, then three more in the opposite direction to make a criss-cross pattern.20. Bake in preheated oven (200° C/400° F) for 50 minutes until golden and hollow-sounding when tapped underneath.21. Leave to cool on a wire rack.

Remarks:Yeast alternative - For the starter, use 10g fresh yeast and for the dough, use 10g fresh yeast.I had no "malt extract", so I used the same quantity Ovomaltine.Chafe - Form the dough into a ball by cupping your hands gently around it and applying a light downwards pressure to the sides, while simoultaneously rotating the dough continuously in a steady clockwise motion. Continue until the dough is formed into an even, round shape.

Serving suggestions:This bread tastes fantastic with strong and soft cheeses such as Brie de Meaux, raw milk Camembert, Maroille, Munster, raw milk French Reblochon and Epoisses.Pate, terrines and vegetable/meat spreads will also pair well with this loaf.It is also ideal for making bruschette.

47 comments:

rosa, i loved your introduction words. i feel the same about bread baking. glad to hear i'm not the only one bearing a bbocd ( bread baking obsesive compulsive disorder ), hehe :)it is always amazing and relaxing to produce a big loaf. thanks for sharing. will try to make it.

Rosa,I found your web site when I visited Babeth. I am a bread lover too, I tried to make my own bread at least once a week. Your bread looks so delice and I can't wait to try it myself. I'll get back to you with the result!

Hi Rosa,It's me again, just wondering wether you've tried the infamous (among some chef/baker) NY Times "No Knead Bread"? It works for me especially when I don't have the time to do all the work (knead the dough) but longing to make my own bread. It was surprisingly good, crusty, chewy and one of those bread that seem like you work (endlessly) in the kitchen. If you curious how's the texture looks like here is the photohttp://elrasbaking.blogspot.com/2008/05/no-knead-bread-with-poppy-sesames-and.htmlIt's worth trying!

I can really understand the need to be around flour in order to just relax. I feel the same but not necessarily about baking but cooking in general.This recipe reminds me of the bread I use to buy as a child. Even if it wans't homemade it was a terrific loaf. Bookmarked!